Families with children in residential foster-care settings are characterized by chronic family conflict, verbal abuse, and neglect. Previous research has supported increased risks in mental health psychopathology and heightened physiological reactivity among these children and youths. Recent research in family therapy has further hinted that debriefing of the children’s physiological arousals induced by family disputes can motivate the families to resolve their conflicts. The present study investigated whether the proposed intervention, which includes using the biofeedback equipment and debriefing of children’s physiological arousals, can increase the sense of hope in the families. Twenty Hong Kong parent-child dyads, with children in the residential child-care setting, participated in the study. Children’s physiological arousals were measured through skin conductance, heart rate and peripheral temperature. The present findings revealed that parents and children who went through the intervention procedure reported greater increase in hope than those did not receive the intervention. Amongst the variables that correlated with the changes in hope, higher level of behavioral engagement among the children was associated with increased insight and plans disclosed by the parents. Negative parent-child interactional pattern was also found to associate with higher changes in the hope among the parents. The results identified that negative interactional patterns in form of responsiveness and participation from the children could be powerful in giving insights to the parents, which in turn could foster increased hope. These findings have significant clinical implications to family intervention strategies with these at-risk families. / published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

Thesis (M.S.)--Rutgers University, 2007. / "Graduate Program in Psychology." Includes bibliographical references (p. 81-90).

published_or_final_version / Clinical Psychology / Doctoral / Doctor of Psychology

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2004. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 124-134).

Bereavement is one of the most painful experiences in one’s life, and guilt is one of the various emotions associated with it. Guilt is widely reported by bereaved people, but it is not yet sufficiently understood by researchers. There is a lack of convergence in conceptualizing guilt, and no valid measurement exists to assess this important construct in grief. Meanwhile, this emotion is particularly significant in Chinese adult given the cultural value of filial piety. Therefore, this thesis aims to fill this gap and enhance understanding of the nature and consequences of bereavement guilt in Chinese adult children. This sequential mixed method research comprises three parts. To better define and conceptualize bereavement guilt, 16 bereaved adult children were interviewed in the first study about their subjective experience of guilt. Their narratives illustrated the content and feelings of bereavement guilt. It suggested that guilt was based on various evaluations of their behaviors, which failed to meet their inner standards or expectations. It also revealed that they felt guilt for contributing to the death, for hurting the deceased, and for not paying enough back to the parent. Those thoughts were evidently accompanied by distressful feelings. In study two, the Bereavement Guilt Scale (BGS) was developed based on findings in study one. It was then validated with survey data collected from 873 bereaved adult children. The scale comprises five factors: (1) responsibility towards the death, (2) hurting the deceased, (3) survivor guilt, (4) indebtedness guilt and (5) guilt feelings. It was proved to have good dimensionality and construct validity, satisfactory internal consistency and test-retest reliability. Study three aimed to build the model for bereavement guilt, exploring its prevalence, predictors and relationship with complicated grief. The same data set in study two was analyzed and the results revealed various occurrence rates for different subtypes of bereavement guilt. The most common type is indebtedness guilt (81%), followed by guilt feelings (70%), responsibility for the death (37%), survivor guilt (27%) and guilt about hurting the deceased (23%). It was also revealed that guilt is more commonly experienced by people bereaved from unnatural death than natural death. Investigating a group of demographic and death-related variables simultaneously, this study found that different types of guilt have distinct predictors, but that three risk factors predicted most of them. These are the adult children being of a younger age, losing a mother, and low psychological preparation for the death. Finally, a strong association between guilt and complicated grief was established by the data. The relationship between complicated grief and guilt was stronger than with demographic variables, death-related variables, depression and anxiety. Such association remains significant even when controlling for these variables. This thesis proposes a multidimensional conceptualization of bereavement guilt and has developed a valid measurement tool. It builds a preliminary model of risk factors, bereavement guilt and health outcomes in bereavement. The implications and limitations are also discussed. / published_or_final_version / Social Work and Social Administration / Doctoral / Doctor of Philosophy

This qualitative phenomenological study is one of few that investigate the information-seeking behaviour of younger elementary school children. Recent cognitive research has established that there are considerable and rapid intellectual changes throughout childhood, meaning that studies and/or models outlining the information-seeking experiences of older students and adults might not identify, explain or address the unique information needs of younger elementary school students. The study, conducted over 14 weeks in Winter 2006 with 12 volunteer students from two grade-three classes within a Montreal elementary school sought to answer three research questions: 1) How do grade-three students seek information in support of a class project? 2) What are the barriers faced by grade-three students in seeking and using information? 3) Do any models of information-seeking behaviour in whole or in part inform a model specific to grade-three students? Six different types of data collection techniques were employed: participant observation, interviews with the students, class teacher and parents, questionnaires, self-evaluations, journals, and final projects. The study revealed that students in the earlier grades of elementary school are seeking and using information in both print and digital formats and experiencing difficulties in both media. In print, selection of materials was not straightforward nor was the location of information within them. Difficulties were encountered with the selection criteria and the use of metadata lists. In the digital domain, lack of strategic planning before starting a search, problems in generating search queries, spelling, keyboarding, and extracting information were observed. In addition to these problems, several barriers outside of the students' control were identified that impact on their information seeking on the Web (e.g. search engine design, lack of appropriate sites for young students, inefficient filtering systems) and in print (e.g. out-of- date and/or lack of print reference resources, classification and/or indexing schemes). Information culled from the Internet was rarely read in any depth on-screen; instead, the students printed the material in order to peruse it at a later time, much as they would with a book. The study provides insight into the barriers faced by children when seeking information, how they use information in an educational context, and how they can be helped to better exploit the information resources available to them, as well as a model of information-seeking behaviour specific to grade-three students.

This dissertation represents an attempt to better understand why physically abused children are more likely to develop aggressive tendencies. A sample of adolescents receiving child protection services was administered a battery of self-report measures on maltreatment, health, and well-being; an aggression measure was administered a year later. The specific focus was to determine whether aggressive youth were more likely to (1) have suffered harsher physical abuse, (2) generate violence outcome expectancies that favour recourse to aggression, and (3) report higher levels of abuse-related shame. Respectively, the second and third hypotheses were based on social information processing and shame-rage models of aggression. / Only the hypothesis of the fast study on maltreatment characteristics was supported. Victims of frequent and severe abuse were more likely to report aggression. As for the second and third study, the expectation of positive outcomes from violence and feelings of shame-rage (as indicated by high levels of guilt-free shame) were actually inversely related to aggression. / Even though these results went in the opposite direction of the hypotheses, they are not altogether in conflict with theoretical models. According to L. Rowell Huesmann's description of social information processing, a hostile worldview was considered a mediating factor in the development of aggression problems. The tendency for aggressive youth to expect negative rather than positive outcomes from violence can be interpreted as support for this view. Abuse-related shame was not related to aggression, but it did demonstrate the predicted association with anger and hostility. The suggestion therefore is that feeling shame as a result of abuse leads to pent-up rather than expressed rage. / Given these results, it is suggested that victims of harsh maltreatment be targeted for appropriate prevention and skills promotion programs. Also, future research should investigate whether the formation of problematic relationship schemas and the tendency to suppress abuse-related emotions contribute to the maintenance of aggression problems.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Drexel University, 2004. / Includes abstract and vita. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 106-117).

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2005. / Title from first page of PDF file. Document formatted into pages; contains vii, 101 p. Includes bibliographical references (p. 72-78). Available online via OhioLINK's ETD Center

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